1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical junction box, such as may be used in an automotive vehicle.
2. Background Art
Automotive vehicles include many electrical systems, such as lighting, signaling, instrumentation, and engine control. Networks of wires and cables, which run throughout the vehicle, generally interconnect these electrical systems. Each of these electrical subsystems includes numerous electrical components, such as fuses, relays and connectors. In some vehicles, the fuses and relays are distributed throughout the vehicle. Other vehicles have many of the wires and cables routed through an electrical junction box, which houses most or all of the fuses and relays in the vehicle. In this manner, the electrical junction box can be considered as a container for electrical junctions.
Automotive vehicles have used junction boxes similar to junction box 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 to distribute electrical power among a variety of electrical systems in the vehicle. The junction box 1 of FIG. 1 receives a number of housing connectors 2. Each housing connector 2 has multiple wire-terminal receptacles 3 to receive a number of wired terminals 4. Once the housing connector 2 receives the wired terminals 4, the housing connector 2 can inserted as a unit in the junction box 1. The combination of the housing connector 2 and the wired terminals 4 may be referred to as a wire harness that carries the electrical power from the junction box 1 to electrical systems in the automotive vehicle. Thus, the wire harness includes multiple wires arranged and bundled together so that the wires can be connected as a unit to the junction box 1.
FIG. 2 shows the junction box of FIG. 1 assembled with the housing connector 2. The housing connector 2 is separate from top and bottom covers 5, 6 of the junction box 1. In addition, FIG. 2 illustrates a fuse 7, the housing connector 2, and one of the wired terminals 4 inserted into the junction box 1.